North Carolina State University Athletics
Bowl Game Will Be No Christmas Vacation for Wolfpack
12/15/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. -- What could be better than a late December trip to South Florida? With its warm sun, crashing surf and soft sands, Miami is the perfect destination for someone who aspires to enjoy that atypical Holiday Vacation. And when the NC State football team travels to the Sunshine State for a December 28th meeting with Minnesota in the MicronPC.com bowl, it will be taking a trip that even Clark Griswold would envy.
But if coach Chuck Amato and many of his veteran players have their way, Miami's seductive sands won't prevent the Pack from achieving its ultimate goal.
"You want to have fun because you sacrifice a lot during the year, but the main thing is to win the bowl game and finish the year strong," said Wolfpack running back Ray Robinson. "You want to do well because people remember your last game. If we go out there and do well, that's what they'll remember."
One game Robinson and many of his teammates wish they could forget was an ugly 46-23 loss to Miami in the 1998 MicronPC.com Bowl. The outcome of that game left a bitter taste that still lingers two years later.
"I think it carried over until the next season," said senior linebacker Clayton White. "That's why coach Amato is letting us know that it's important for us to go down there and play well for the players next year. You're only as good as the last game you play. When we finished that game we really didn't think we were that good of a football team. I think it carried over to the next season."
Said junior safety Adrian Wilson: "After we lost it was terrible. Going into the winter workouts it was terrible knowing that we didn't just lose, we got dominated in the bowl game. We've got to go down there and win, it's that simple. Sure it's a vacation but we still have a game to play."
NC State's roster is not dotted with many players who actually saw significant playing time against Miami two years ago. White and Robinson are among a sprinkling of current regulars who received meaningful minutes in that contest. Wilson, who was a freshman at the time, returned three kickoffs.
While most of his players may lack bowl experience, Amato's staff has combined to appear in a total of 91 bowl games during their careers. Amato, who spent 18 years as an assistant at Florida State, will be making his 25th bowl appearance. He has also coached in postseason play every year since 1982.
"Everybody goes to bowls because they're being rewarded for having a good season," Amato said. "If you lose, they forget about those other 11 games; they forget about being 7-4. It sours that season and puts a bad taste in your mouth for the upcoming season. If you win it, that propels you into next year and makes this season a great, great season."
The benefits from winning a game like this could be enormous. Not only would a victory conclude what would be a satisfying 8-4 campaign and set the stage for next year, it very well could impress a handful of talented high school prospects from Florida who will be attending the game.
A successful outcome would also send NC State's seniors out on a winning note.
"I want to make sure that everyone's on the same page and everyone knows what we need to do for this team next year," White said. "If we win this game it will be eight wins, and a lot of teams can't say that they got eight wins in the year 2000. I'm not going to dwell on the fact that it's my last game. We've got 80 more guys who'll be back next year."
When next year rolls around, those 80-plus guys hope that they'll be able to say that their Christmas vacation turned into a pleasant experience.
